Improvement in musical instruments



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE W. VAN DUSEN, OF WILLIAMSBURGQ NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 72,129, dated December 10, 1867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. VAN DUSEN, of VVilliaInsburg, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specilication.

The present invention relates to arranging musical instruments in such manner that by the passage of a perforated 'surface or surfaces the notes ofthe instrument may be permitted to sound or be sounded in such order as may be desired to produce a given tone; and the invention consists in a novel connection and arrangement of levers and valves between the plane of movement of the perforated surface or surfaces, and an air chest or chests, andthe keys or leversv for opening the valves to the reeds, or for operating any other mechanism suitable for producing tones, whereby through such perforated surface or surfaces the mechanism formingv the connection between the perforated surface and the sounding mechanism will be operated through its perforations to produce the sound, or note, or notes desired, of whatever length such notes or sounds are to be. f' 1 In the accompanyingplate of drawings my improvements in musical instruments are illustrated, Figure l being a plan or top view of the same 5 and Fig. 2, a vertical section taken in the plane of the line x x, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A in the drawings represents an air or wind chest, secured at each end to and between uprights B; O, a passage through air-chest, made of a right-angular shape, to which at one end, D, any suitable apparatus for producing a suction in the air-chestA is to be connected with the other, provided with a tube or pipe, E, that at its upper end is closed by a valveplate, F, secured to one end of a lever, G, hinged to the upper side of arail, H, in proper position therefor. This valve-lever G is thrown up by a bent spring, I, suitably arranged therefor.

That portion of the air-passage in the airchest having the tube E is extended down through the air-chest, where at its lower end it is enlarged or bored out, forming a chainber, J. This chamber J is closed by aflexible diaphragm or plate, K, which is secured to the outside of the air-chest by a ring, L, surrounding its edge, secured by screws M or other proper fastening devices. N, a stem, passing through center of diaphragm K, on and in which it is secured, so aste be a part of the same, by means of a screw-Init, O, screwed upon its outer projecting portion, I), between which and a shoulder plate or disk, Q, in the chamber J the diaphragm is confined. The stem N projects up into the extension to the air-passage of the air-chest, and around it, within the chamber J, is suitably arranged or placed a spiral spring, It, to bring back the diaphragm to its place after its operation, as will be hereinafter described.

Below the outer end to the stem N is placed a key or lever, T, arranged or hung to move in a vertical pla-ne, with which key or lever it is intended to connect any suitable arrangement of mechanical devices-as, for instance, such as are now in use for producing or causing to be produced musical notes or sounds, whether by means of reeds or of strings, or otherwise.

U, ara-il fixed in position over the valvelevers, hereinbefore referred to. This rail is to carry and support a series of horizontal levers, V, each turning or swinging upon upright pins or fulcra a, with the longer arm, IV, to the levers projected and extended over the valve-plates F, 011 which they rest, through adjustable screw pins or studs b.

K, the short arms to the levers V, each of which at their outer ends is provided with a downward-bent Inetallic finger-piece or point, Y; Z, bent springs arranged to bear upon the upper side of finger-levers V.

A2, a drum or roller arranged to turn in suitable bearings of the uprights B2. This roller extends along the line of the lingerpieces to the levers V, just below the same, and in position for such linger-pieces to rest thereon. O2, an endless strip of paper, or other suitable sheet of flexible material, which strip is perforated or punctured in a similar manimprovements in musical instruments, I will' now proceed to explain the manner in which the same operate.

The perforated strip C2 is made to pass around the rollers A2 and D2 by connecting` the two rollers with any suitable driving mechanism, and also a suction produced in the air chamber or chest A by means of any suitable bellows or other air apparatus that is to g linger-pieces Y, by turning or swinging which l in the proper direction the said levers can be raised' sufficiently to bring the finger-pieces I above bearing upon the perforated sheet when desired to remove it and to replace it with. another. yhung as to be susceptible of easy removal for be connected with the chest at D. The suction in the air-chamber causes the diaphragm K, with its stem P, to be drawn inward, raising it from the key T. As one of the perforationsv i-n the strip O2 comes under a finger-piece, Y, the lever which carries such finger Y then moves sufciently to raise the stud b from the valve-plate G, that then, by the action of the spring I, is lifted from the tube E, opening it to the entrance of air, which, rushing through it, presses down the diaphragm K, and consequently, through its stem P, causes the key T to be operated, and thus the mechanism for producing a sound or note, the length of which depends upon the length of the perforation in the sheet 5 but when the perforation has passed by the finger-piece Y, it then raises the lever V, to which it is fastened, thus closing the valve G, stopping the sound, as is obvious.

The diaphragm N P may be arranged to act directly upon the sound-producing mechanism, I in lieu of through a key, or as above described,

and I therefore wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to any one arrangement of parts between the diaphragm, stem, and the sound-producers, as

this invention has no reference to such parts. Nor do l intend to limit myself to any particular arrangement or form of perforations, or their equivalents, in the strip or sheet C?, as such perforations, Sto., will depend upon 'the melody or tune to be executed or performed in the musical instrument.

It may be here observed that by my arrangement of parts between the plane of movement of the perforated sheet and the air chest or passage A and the arrangement of the diaphragm K, it is plainly apparent that with but a slight movement to the finger-piece Y a powerful action can be obtained upon the diaphragmstem P, for actuating the sound-producing g mechanism, whereby comparatively thin paper *or other suitable sheet material can be used j-without the least danger of .being injured or damaged either at the edges to its, perforag tions or upon its plain surface.

H2, a rail arranged under the levers to the The rollers A2 and D2 are also so inserting a new or dii'erent perforated sheet,

i according to the tune or melody desired to be produced.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination and arrangement of lever V, with finger-piece Y at one end and stud' b i at the other, valve G, and air-passage E, closed by a flexible diaphragm, K, substantially as herein described, and for the purpose of producing, by means of air, an action upon any suitable sound-producing mechanism through the movement of a sheet or strip perforated,

or in any other equivalent manner prepared.

GEO. YW. VAN DUSEN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. BROWN, WM. F. llIcNAMALaA. 

